North Bay is one of a number of communities that will be hosting a Walk for ALS this summer.
The North Bay version will take place at 10 a.m. on Saturday at the North Bay Waterfront for the 5 kilometre walk, with sign up starting at 9 a.m.
The local organizers are hoping to raise up to $30,000 towards the cause.
Mattawa native Mauril Belanger, the Liberal MP in Ottawa-Vanier, was named the honourary spokesperson for the Walk for ALS. He was diagnosed with the disease in 2015.
“We are grateful to have the Bélanger family work alongside us and to have Mr. Bélanger be the National Honorary Spokesperson for the WALK for ALS,” said Tammy Moore, CEO ALS Canada.
“This nation-wide program provides vital funds to allow the ALS Societies in each province across Canada to carry out their work assisting people living with ALS and continues our commitment to investment in the most progressive and promising research to make ALS a treatable disease.”
ALS is a neurodegenerative disease where the motor neurons that control your muscles die. The ‘living wires’ which connect your brain to your muscles degenerate, leading to a loss of mobility and speech and eventually impact the ability to breathe. ALS is terminal, there is no cure or an effective treatment. In
Canada, approximately 2500-3000 people are living with ALS; 1,000 will succumb to the disease and 1,000 will be newly diagnosed each year. The life span after diagnosis is on average two to five years.
For more information or to sign up go to: https://secure.e2rm.com/registrant/LocationHome.aspx?eventid=192751&langpref=en-CA&locationID=192773&Referrer=http%3a%2f%2fwalkforals.ca%2ffind-a-walk%2fontario%2f
